If anybody was in attendance or watching the Harry Howell and Andy Bathgate banner ceremony on television, you may have noticed that Madison Square Garden was 80 percent full (at best) and just about everybody was sitting down seemingly falling asleep.  Let me start by saying this was again a great ceremony that was attended by many Rangers and NHL legends, as well as all of the Rangers retired numbers, but the fans just did not seem as in to it as they have been for the other banner retirement nights that have taken place over the past five years.  These two gentlemen deserved just as much respect and fan appreciation as any of the past Rangers who have had their numbers retired.  I have never said this before but I will say it now, Ranger fans fell a little short tonight!  I will say the Ranger fans were alert and attentive enough to boo the current players when they took part in the ceremony, it is well deserved!

I also believe that the Rangers organization is partly to blame here.  I hate to say that because they did, as always, put together a great ceremony.  But, why wait so long.  Many of the people in attendance tonight (myself included) have never seen these two greats play a single game.  And many who supported and admired these players’ careers are no longer with us.  If this ceremony were conducted twenty years ago Howell and Bathgate would have gotten the sellout crowd and standing ovation they deserve.

And the Rangers followed up the ceremony with more of the same.  A loss to a team below them in the standings, trying to rely on Lundqvist for a low scoring win.  This is just no longer a playoff caliber team!

The Rangers are not the only team currently having difficulty.  The Montreal Canadiens have been equally awful since the all star break and it culminated with the benching of their captain Alex Kovalev for two games this week.  These are two teams whom if they were slumping in December I would have said don’t worry, they will turn it around and be in the playoffs.  But this is a very late season slump, as well as a very dismal one for both teams.  If they cannot turn it around immediately the Sabres, Panthers, Hurricanes, and Penguins will only have to play .500 hockey to lock up the 5-8 spots in the East.  That will leave a lot of talent, a lot of early season success, and a lot of die hard hockey fans who were feeling good just a few short months ago on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

Out West things continue to be all knotted up with just eleven points separating the five spot and number fifteen.  At the beginning of the week it appeared that Phoenix was going to drop out of the mix but just when you thought that they have now bounced back and won two straight.  No team seems to want to lie down and die and the final four playoff spots continue to be available for any one of those teams.  Should be interesting!

  Trade deadline is quickly coming our way, should be a lot to talk about in the coming weeks.  Until next time hockey fans!